Bridal Buyer talks to Phoebe Caramitsos of Monreal about the latest collection, which launched at Harrogate. The collection – Muse of Love – showcases the label’s concealed corsetry techniques, sumptuous fabrics, striking silhouettes and a diverse range of styles. Read on to find out more about the current trends, as well as behind the scenes details from the fashion house… 

What are the key trends for you this season? How have you incorporated these into your collection? 

There’s a definite trend towards dresses that have multi-way styling options, with additional items such as statement veils, over-skirts, gloves and more. Second looks for the evening are popular, too – brides are either buying a completely different second dress, or selecting a multi-style dress, which can be adapted for entirely different evening looks. With the addition of the optional accessories, brides are getting two or three dresses in one – for example long to short gowns with optional overskirts, or sleeves to sleeveless. This trend is being massively celebrity led, with the likes of Paris Hilton and J-Lo, as well as other insta-viral weddings.

In addition, the mini dress is still on the rise and we’ve added these to our mainline. Drop waistlines are making a major appearance across the bridal aesthetic next year. Think dramatic ball gowns with beaded and tuille detailed appliqués and shimmering fabrics, as well as the classical planer luxury fabrics. Finally, we’re seeing increasingly more floral work on gowns, specifically in the form of 3D applications.

What are the top three qualities modern brides are looking for in their wedding attire? 

There’s a clear desire to achieve several looks from a chosen gown; from plains to embellished, right though to ballgowns and minis with detachable skirts, etc.

Next is individuality – customisation and styling options. Brides are wanting to be true to themselves and express their personality. The general pattern or rule is that her friends will usually all get married within a few years of one another, and the need to stand out and not be compared to one another, will always be a major quality.

Lastly – fashion forward editorial. With the rise of Instagram and ‘Looks’ going viral, clients are wanting to create their own ‘iconic’ photos to be out there, inspired by the likes of the Met Gala, social media and iconic TV shows (such as Bridgerton). Many brides are definitely not playing it as ‘safe’ these days, and that makes it an extremely exciting time for bridal.

How do you see bridal evolving over the next year? Any trend predictions? 

We like to create signature looks and set trends – all our designs are fully customisable, upon request, to accommodate our partners’ needs. Demand and tastes can vary massively between geographical regions, and of course there are huge variety of brides – retailers know what their girls want better than anyone, which is another reason why we like to encourage our partners to customise even their first sample order to suit their demographic and their own boutique’s identity.

However, I definitely see more self-expression and personalisation in the form of versatile gowns, with editorial accessories such as beautiful statement veils and capes, gloves being added for an edgier individual feel, slits being a feature, even on fuller skirts, to bring the sexy silhouette into play.

And finally…  what’s one thing you want retailers to know about you?

We are a smaller, intimate team, all completely dedicated and passionate to giving each of our partners and their brides exactly what they want. The best quality and customer care are the forefront. Therefore, all our designs can be fully customised, from total colour and fabric switches, to redesigning the top of one Monreal gown with the bottom of another, to redesigning sleeves. For example, our sample gowns can come with poppers on the sleeves to give the bride the opportunity to envisage what her gown will look like with/without. We can also change cups, add or remove layers, adding accessories made in specific fabrics, and even raising/lowering backs to suit each and every bride’s personal shape and tastes.